Decision to hang Afzal Guru wrong: Aiyar

After Shashi Tharoor, veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday put the party in an embarrassing spot arguing that the decision to hang Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was wrong. He also backed the demand of the ruling PDP in Jammu and Kashmir for return of Guru’s mortal remains to his family.

The Congress distanced itself from Aiyar’s statement, saying his hanging was culmination of legal and judicial process. It also defended the then UPA government’s decision not to hand over his mortal remains to his family.

“I have always been in favour of that,” Aiyar told reporters in Parliament when asked about the PDPs’ demand. “In fact, I think it was a very wrong decision to hang him. The evidence against him was not strong enough in my opinion …,” he added.